Austin Coffee Festival 2026: What It's Like and 7 Austin Coffee Shops to Know

The Austin Coffee Festival, presented by Craft Hospitality, took over Palmer Events Center this weekend, and it's one of the best ways to taste your way through the city's coffee scene in a single morning. We spent Saturday there sampling espresso, pour-overs and more than a few things we didn't expect, like coffee honey. Here's what it's like, and seven Austin coffee shops we met that are worth a visit long after the festival ends.

Still time to go: the festival runs one more day, Sunday Oct 18, from 9am to 4:30pm. Tickets are sold by session, so the morning slot is the one to get if you want shorter lines.

What the Austin Coffee Festival Is Like

Think of it as a coffee market where every booth hands you a sample. Roasters pull espresso shots and pour flights side by side, so you can taste the difference between shops in a few minutes. Most cups are small, which is the point: you'll try a dozen before you know it.

Beyond the coffee, there are pour-over bars, local food and pantry vendors and Coffee Convos, a stage of panel talks between the live music sets. Saturday's best was "Yum or Yuck?", where Ethos Syrups' Alex Hernandez moderated a debate on flavored drinks and coffee's sacred cows with people from Lamppost Coffee, Intelligentsia, Merit Coffee and Brewcado. Grab a seat between tastings. It's a nice break from the crowd.

Sunday's Schedule

If you're going on Sunday, plan your tastings around the stage. Here's what's on.

• 10:15am · Live music — Natalie Price opens the day.
• 12:15pm · Home Barista Basics — Miranda Haney of Barista Friend and Sightseer Coffee on making cafe-quality coffee at home, from picking equipment to the small moves that make a better cup. Bring your questions.
• 1:45pm · Live music — Rachel Laven.
• 2:45pm · It's Easy to Roast Coffee, Right? — Austin roasters on what roasting actually takes, with Charles Emile Lauriat of Trianon Coffee, Kimberly Helms of Sightseer Coffee Roasters, Sam Peyton of Texas Coffee Traders, Billy Wiginton of Haciendo Coffee and Mary Bozzelli of Armadillo Coffee Roasters.

7 Austin Coffee Shops We Met at the Festival

These are the local shops we talked to at Palmer. Each one is worth a trip after the festival is over.

• Stouthaus Coffee — A coffee shop and neighborhood pub in one at 4715 S Lamar Blvd in Sunset Valley. They roast their own beans, pour Texas craft beer and wine, and run a trailer at Thicket Food Park on South First. A second cafe is coming to Davis Lane. @stouthauscoffee
• Merit Coffee — Started in San Antonio and now one of Austin's go-to specialty roasters, with a fourth Austin shop planned for Mueller. Merit's Dave Vela was on Saturday's "Yum or Yuck?" panel. @meritcoffee
• Medici Roasting — A longtime local roaster with cafes around town, including South Lamar and the Domain. Medici's Michael Vasclav spoke on Saturday's panel about keeping coffee personal. @mediciroasting
• Civil Goat Coffee — An East Austin favorite, with a second shop out in Manor. @civilgoatcoffee
• Lamppost Coffee — A Round Rock staple for more than 10 years, including its shop on Main Street downtown. Lamppost was on Saturday's "Yum or Yuck?" panel. @lamppost.coffee
• Trianon Coffee — A Westlake institution on Bee Cave Road, with a new shop coming to Buda. Trianon's Charles Emile Lauriat is on Sunday's roasting panel at 2:45pm. @trianoncoffee
• 512 Coffee — A local name to know if you want your coffee as Austin as it gets. @512specialtycoffee

Go in the morning, try one sample from every roaster, then buy a bag from your favorite on the way out.

Also Worth a Stop

A few booths we didn't expect to love: Haciendo Coffee Roasters, whose bags are as good-looking as the coffee, the pour-over bar at Coffee Enlightenment, and 1992 Honey Co., with jars of coffee honey you can taste before you buy.

The full roaster lineup this year also includes Humo Coffee, Coffee 4 Water, Infinity Coffee Craft, Greater Goods Coffee Co., Texas Coffee Traders, Armadillo Coffee Roasters, Heritage 1857, Polite Coffee, Kahoa Coffee, Intelligentsia, Blendin' Coffee & Tea, Sightseer Coffee, Superthing Coffee, Unlisted Coffee, Malone Specialty Coffee, Barrett's Micro Roast Coffee, Brewcado, Carta Coffee, Fara Coffee, Creature Coffee, Cayón Coffee, Coba Coffee and Whiskey Morning Coffee, plus Ethos Syrups, Goldvine Syrups, 1992 Honey Co., Tranquil Ceramics and Mill-King Market & Creamery, the festival's sponsor.

Tips for Going

Eat something first, since a dozen samples on an empty stomach is a lot. Bring a tote for the bags you'll buy. Parking at Palmer fills up on busy weekends, so rideshare or bike if you can. And pace yourself: you don't need to finish every cup.

Photos and video: atxweekly.